Cooking range



c. B\ELSKY April 12, 1949.

COOKING RANGE 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed June 10, 1946 C. BELSKY COOKINGRANGE -April 12,1949.

3 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed June 10, 1946 Patentod Apr. 1?, 1949 COOKINGRANGE Charles Belsky, Detroit, Mich., Manufacturing Corporation,

Delaware assignor to Avco a corporation of Application June 10, 1946,Serial No. 675,647

The invention relates to gas ranges.

In gas ranges of the type in which a top burner compartment is disposedabove the broiler and oven compartments, there is usually provided atop-unit which extends over the top burner compartment and carries ahinged cover for said with said top and splashback. It occasionallybecomes necessary to provide access to the top burners and the gasconnections and the manifold, in the top burner compartment, forinspection or repair.

One object of the invention is to provide an improved construction forremovably securing the top unit, including a top-member, the splashbackand front panel, which can be conveniently manipulated to provide accessto the top burner compartment when it is desired or necessary.

Another object of the invention is to provide an improved constructionfor removably securing said top unit on the body of the range forconvenient access to the burners and parts in the top burnercompartment.

Other objects of the invention will appear from the detaileddescription.

The invention consists in the several features hereinafter set forth andmore particularly defined by claims at the conclusion hereof.

In the drawings:

Fig. 1 is a perspective view of the top portion of a range to which theinvention may be applied.

Fig. 2 is a sectional perspective view from the rear of the range of oneend portion of the top unit in operative position on the body.

Fig. 3 is a longitudinal section taken on line 3--3 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 4 is a section taken on line 44 of Fig. 3.

Fig. 5 is a section taken on line 55 of Fig. 3, with the top unit in itsoperative position.

Fig. 6 is a similar view, illustrating the top unit in its raisedposition for providing access to the top burner compartment.

The invention is exemplified with a range of the cabinet type whichcomprises a sheet metal wrapper, including a horizontal top-wall l0 anda back-member l2; insulated end panels I6; a liner l8 forming a bakingcompartment at one side of the body and a liner 20 forming a broilercompartment at the other side of the body, the walls of which are spacedfrom the wrapper and end walls. The top-wall III of the wrapper extendsbetween the end panels l6 and at one side 7 Claims. (Cl. 126-37) 2 formsthe bottom of the top-burner compartment 22.

A top unit, generally designated 23, for the range, is formed of sheetmetal and comprises a horizontal top or cover member 24, an upstandingsplashback 26 at the back of member 24, and a front panel 28 dependingfrom member 24. The top unit is separate from the range-body and ismovable for access to the parts disposed in the top-burner compartment22. The unit 23 extends from end to end of the range-body. The dependingfront panel 28 usualli carries the control handles for the gas burnersin the top-burner compartment 22, which are detachable from the burnerswhich are mounted on the range-body.

A group of gas burners 25 and the connections for supplying gas theretoare supported in any suitable manner in the burner compartment 22 on thetop-member ill of the wrapper. The horizontal member 24 of the top unit23 is provided with an opening over the burner compartment 22 and anaeration pan 30 is supported on the margin of the opening and providedwith openings for the burners 25, as well understood in the art. Afolding lid or cover for the burners 25 includes a leaf 32 which ishinged as at 34 to the top unit and a leaf 36 which is hinged to leaf32, as at 38. The end is foldable against the splashback. A transversechannel bar 4|] is fixedly secured, usually by welding, to each end ofthe top-member ll) of the wrapper. The end panels l6 extend over theouter sides of said bars 40. Each channel bar 40 has a lower out-turnedflange 4| which is secured to the wall [0 of the wrapper, a top flange42 underlying an inturned flange H on an end panel 16, and anintermediate horizontal flange which forms a transverse trackrail 43.Brackets 46, which are angular in crosssection, are secured to inturnedflanges 44 on the horizontal top-member 24 of unit 23. A front roller 45and a rear roller 41 are journalled adjacent the front and rear ends,respectively, of each bracket 46 on studs 48 which are fixed in andproject outwardly from vertical flanges of each bracket 46. Said rollersare adapted to travel on tracks 43 and support the top-unit 23 for foreand aft and vertically tilting movements. The central portion of thetop-member 24 may also be supported on fixed brackets 49.

The rear of top-unit 23 is adapted to be locked against verticalmovement relatively to the range-body by detachable connections whichare releasable by forward movement of the unit and are disposed adjacentthe ends of top-unit 23;

Each of these connections comprises a forwardly- I wall ill of thewrapper.

3 extending hook II which has a vertically extending portion which isfixedly mounted on the range-body, and a slot 54 in a sheet metalbracket 55 which is rigidly secured to the top-unit 23. Each hook Iii issecured by screws to a sheet metal bracket 52. Each bracket 52 comprisesside-flanges provided with integral out-turned tongues 58 which arewelded to members Hi and I2 of the wrapper and a connecting wall towhich a hook in is secured. Each slot 54 is formed in a sheet metalbracket 55 which is welded to inturned flange 51 on the top and sides ofthe splashback. When the top-unit 23 is in its operative position overthe range-body, hooks in extend forwardly through the slots 54 inbrackets 55 and prevent vertical separation of the top-unit 23 from thebody.

A stop 60 is welded to the inner face of the lower portion of eachchannel bar 40, extends upwardly between the rollers 45 and 41, and isadapted to arrest the forward movement of the rear rollers 41 which arecarried by brackets 48 on the topunit 23. When the top-unit is shiftedforwardly so that rear rollers 41 engage the stops 60, the front portionof top-unit 23 is free to be swung vertically and fulcrum on the axis ofthe rear rollers 41 and into position, as illustrated in Fig. 6, toprovide access to the burners 25 and parts in the top burner compartment22. The stops 60 are provided with curved seats SI for rollers 41 duringthis tilting movement.

A strut-link 62 is pivoted, as at B3. to a lug 54 which is secured tothe underside of the to?- member 24 and is adapted to function as asupport for securely supporting the top-unit in its raised position, asillustrated in Fig. 6, for-access to the burners 25 and parts incompartment 22. A strut-link 62 may be provided adjacent each end ofunit 23. A single bolt 66 is adapted to ex- M tend through a lug 61 andan inturned lower flange on panel 28 for securing the entire topunit 23against either forward or upward displacement and in its operativeposition. Bolt 66 retains the hooks 50 against release from slots 54 inbrackets 55. The link 62 is foldable into a rearwardly extendingposition of the top-burner compartment 22 (Fig. 5).

The operation will be as follows: when the topunit is in its operativeposition, it will be supported byrollers 41 and 45 on channel bars hooks50 will extend through slots 54 in brackets 55, and the single bolt 66will lock the unit 23 against the forward or upward movement and link 52will be folded rearwardly over the topto the burners 25 and other partsin the topburner compartment 22, the bolt 66 is removed. The top-unit23, including the splashback 26, the depending front panel 28, and lids32, 36 are shifted forwardly, the rollers 45 and 41 travelling on tracks43 of bars 40 until the rear rollers 41 abut against the stops 60.During the initial forward movement of unit 23, brackets 55 will releasethe hooks 50 on the range-body. The

front of top-unit 23 will then be swung upwardly while it fulcrums onthe axes of the rear rollers 41 which are held in rearwardly facingseats 6| in stops 5 0. The strut-links 62 will automatically swing intoposition to retain the unit in its raised position. A slot or dent 61may be formed in the top-member In of the wrapper to hold the strutlinks62 securely in their position for retaining the unit raised. Whentop-unit 23 is to be replaced, strut-links 52 will be released so theywill swing rearwardly with their lower ends slidin When access isdesired range-body.

The invention exemplifies a separate top-unit for a range, whichincludes a top-member, a splashback, a depending front panel which isadapted to be conveniently shifted horizontally and pivotally, forproviding access to the topbumer compartment. This means is particularlyadvantageous where the range includes broiler and oven compartments, anda top-burner compartment, and the top-unit extends from end to end ofthe range-body.

The invention is not to be understood as limited to the detailsdescribed, since these may be modified within the scope of the appendedclaims without departing'from the spirit and scope of the invention. I I

Having thus described the invention, what I claim as new and desire tosecure by Letters Patentis:

1. The combination with a cooking range including a body, a top burnercompartment over the body, and a separate top unit, for'saidcomp'artment including a top member and an upstanding splashback rigidon the rear end of said top member, of tracks fixed on the body adjacentthe ends of the compartment and extending foreand-aft'of thecompartment, a pair of front and rear devices adjacent each end of thetop unit and movable with the top unit and adapted to travel on thetracks for supporting the top unit horizontally while the splashbacktravels foreand-aft over the compartment, and stop means on the body,engageable by the rear devices and positioned to arrest the forwardmovement of the top unit after the splashback has been moved forwardlyover the compartment a predetermined distance, the rear devices beingadapted to fulcrum on the stop means for pivotal lifting movement of thetop unit, the front devices being movable off the tracks during thepivotal movement of the top unit.

2. The combination with a cooking range including a body, a top burnercompartment over the body, and a separate top-unit for said compartmentincluding a top member and an upstanding splashback rigid on the rearend of said travel on the tracks and support the top-unit horizontallywhile the splashback travels foreand-aft overthe compartment, and stopmeans on the body, engageable by the rear devices, positioned to arrestthe forward movement of the top-unit after the splashback has been movedforwardly over the compartment a predetermined distance, the rearrollers being adapted to engage the stop means for pivotal liftingmovement of the top-unit, the front rollers being movable off the tracksduring the pivotal movement of the top-unit.

3. The combination with a cooking range including a body, a top burnercompartment over the body, and a separate top-unit for said compartmentincluding a top member and an upstanding splashback rigid on the rearend of said top member, of tracks fixed on the body adiacent the ends ofthe compartment and extending fore-and-aft of the compartment, a pair offront and rear devices adjacent each end of the top-unit and movablewith the top-unit to travel on the tracks for supporting the top unithorizontally wh Ie the splashback travels fore-and-aft' over thecompartment, stop means on the body, engageable by the rear devices andpositioned to arrest the forward movement of the top unit after thesplashback has been moved forwardly over the compartment a predetermineddistance, the rear devices being adapted to fulcrum on the stop meansfor pivotal lifting movement of the top unit, the front devices beingmovable off the tracks during the pivotal movement of the topunit, and astrut between the body and the topunit for holding the front of the unitraised and rear devices in engagement with the stop means.

4. The combination with a cooking range including a body, a top burnercompartment over the body, and a separate top-unit for said com-'partment including a top member and an upstanding splashback rigid onthe rear end of said top member, of tracks fixed on the body adjacentthe ends of the compartment and extending fore-and-aft of thecompartment, a pair of front and rear rollers adjacent the ends of thetop unit and movable with the top unit and adapted to travel on thetracks and support the top unit horizontally while the splashbacktravels fore-and-aft over the compartment, stop means on the bodyengageable by the rear devices, positioned to arrest the forwardmovement of the top unit after the splashback has been moved forwardlyover the compartment a predetermined distance, the rear rollers beingadapted to engage the stop means for pivotal lifting movement of the topunit, the front-rollers being movable ed the tracks during the pivotalmovement of the top unit, and means for locking the rear of the top unitagainst upward movement releasable by the forward movement of the topunit.

5. The combination with a cooking range including a body, a top burnercompartment over the body, and a. separate top unit for said compartmentincluding a top member. an upstanding splashback rigid on the rear endof said top member, and a depending front fixed on the top unit forclosing the front of the compartment, of tracks fixed on the bodyadjacent the ends of the compartment and extending fore-and-aft of thecompartment, a pair of front and rear devices adjacent each end of thetop unit and movable with the top unit to travel on the tracks, forsupporting the top unit horizontally while the splashback travelsfore-and-aft over the compartment and the front panel moves over thecompartment, and stop means on the body. engageable by the rear devicesand positioned to arrest the forward movement of the top unit aftersplashback and front panel have been moved forwardly a predetermineddistance, the rear devices being adapted to engage the stop means forpivotal lifting movement of the top unit, the front devices beingmovable oi the track during the pivotal movement of the top unit.

8. The combination with a cooking range including a body, a top burnercompartment over the body, and a separate top unit for said compartmentincluding a top member, an upstanding splashback rigid on the rear endof said top member, and a depending front fixed on the top unit,for'closing the front of the compartment, of tracks fixed on the bodyadjacent the ends of the compartment and extending fore-and-aft of thecompartment, a pair of front and rear rollers adjacent each end of thetop unit and movable with the top unit to travel on the tracks forsupporting the top unit horizontally while the splashback travelsfore-and-aft over the compartment with the front panel moving away fromthe front of the body and the splashback moving over the compartment,and stop means on the body, engageable by the rear rollers andpositionedto arrest the forward movement of the top unit after splashback andfront panel have been moved forwardly a predetermined distance, the rearrollers being adapted to engage the stop means for pivotal liftingmovement of the top unit, the front rollers being movable off the trackduring the pivotal movement of the top unit.

7.- The combination with a cooking range including a body, a top burnercompartment over the body, and a separate top' unit for said compartmentincluding a top member, an upstanding splashback rigid on the rear endof said top member, and a depending front fixed on the top unit forclosing the front of the compartment, of tracks fixed on the bodyadjacent the ends of the compartment and extending fore-and-aft of thecompartment, a pair of front and rear devices adjacent each end of thetop unit and movable with the top unit to travel on the tracks forsupporting the top unit horizontally while the splashback travelsfore-and-aft over the compartment and the front panel moving away fromthe front of the body and the splashback moves over the compartment,stop means on the body, engageable by the rear devices and positioned toarrest the forward movement of the top unit after splashback and frontpanel have been moved forwardly a predetermined distance, the reardevices being adapted to fulcrum on the stop means for pivotal liftingmovement of the top unit, the front devices being movable off the trackduring the pivotal movement of the top unit, and means between the backof the body and the back of the splashback for locking the top unitagainst upward movement, said locking means being releasable by theforwardmovement of the splashback on the top unit.

CHARLES BEL-SKY.

REFERENCES CITED The following references, are of record in the file ofthis patent:

' UNITED STATES PATENTS Avery Apr. 1, 1947

